Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee CJ Ham reflects on community work

Vikings fullback CJ Ham reflects on community help

CJ Ham, a fullback for the Minnesota Vikings, is nominated for the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. The award recognizes a player's excellence both on and off the field. FOX 9's Chenue Her has the full story.

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - CJ Ham’s play on the field has earned him pro-bowl honors in the NFL, but what he’s doing off the field now makes him a nominee for the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Soaking it in 

Big picture view:

For nearly a decade, number 30 has been a constant for the Minnesota Vikings.

"It’s still surreal. The more I think about it, the closer we get to it, it’s truly, truly a blessing," CJ said about being the team’s nominee for the award this year. 

The Walter Payton Man of the Year award recognizes a player’s excellence on and off the field.

"I can’t really wrap my head around it. I can’t really put it into words. Just the impact that we’ve been able to have in the communities we love and really the impact the community has had on us over the years," he said.

The close bonds behind the work 

What they're saying:

On the field, CJ plays every down of football with everything he has and he tackles life off the field with the same mentality.

CJ and his wife Stephanie have poured their hearts into several community initiatives close to them throughout the years, like Pamper Her Purple, which supports women battling cancer.

"My mom had battled pancreatic cancer for about a year and a half, passed away about, almost five years ago now," CJ said. "I see my mom. I see some really, really strong women probably the strongest women in the world."

"It’s a phenomenal way to show that one — you're valued, and two — just to bring their personhood back. I know that when people go through their cancer journey they can kind of get lost in it. It’s all-consuming sometimes," said Stephanie.

The Hams have also helped students through their Ham Family Scholarship Fund.

Stephanie described CJ as humble. Despite being a nominee this year, CJ still remains true to who he is. The humility Stephanie sees in CJ is deep-rooted.

"My parents were huge, huge advocates for helping anybody and everybody. I don’t know how many times I had family members who moved to Duluth who stayed at our house. They were just always nurturing and taking people in," he said. He also stressed the influence the Boys & Girls Club had on his life growing up in Duluth.

But, CJ credits the success and impact of his work to Stephanie.

"I love that we get to do this together, but I think what I love even more is that we get to show our kids what this looks like and reasons why we do it," he told FOX 9.

"We’re a good team, too. We are two completely different people. He’s more of a forest thinker, like big picture, and I’m very type A, meticulous, so we just balance each other out well," said Stephanie. 

Remaining CJ

What's next:

Whether he walks away with the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award or not, CJ said his mission will always be the same: Know people. See people. Love people.

"We’re not perfect at it but I think that’s the blessing God has given us to be able to do. I think that’s for everybody," he said. "It’s for everybody. We’re blessed with life. We’re blessed with so many things. Blessings aren’t just material things."

"I think he’s very deserving of it. Again, I think not just his leadership abilities, and it’s not even just the big things but it’s the little things like volunteering at his kids’ schools. Volunteering at youth group on Wednesday. Just the stuff outside of the big things. I think that’s just the core of who he is," Stephanie said.

The winner of this year’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award will be announced on Thursday Feb. 6 at 8:00 p.m. CST on FOX.